Friday, April 11, 2008

ASAN SW Ohio Comment Featured in Agency Report

A quote from a comment submitted by ASAN Southwest Ohio was prominently featured in the final report of the Futures Committee of the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, which was presented to Governor Strickland and the General Assembly on March 28, 2008.The report, which provides recommendations for improving state services for Ohio residents with developmental disabilities, featured the following excerpt from ASAN's comment as the introduction to a section entitled Specialized Needs, which discusses autism spectrum conditions and the need for coordinated community efforts to meet needs that may be inadequately served under the current infrastructure:

"Autistic individuals are a historically underserved population whose needs may not be fully met by the traditional developmental disability infrastructure. Moreover, K-12 personnel, university administrators and staff, and disability services personnel should possess a working knowledge of autism spectrum disorders and should receive autism-related training whenever necessary."

The report acknowledged that there is a critical need for specialized programs and services, recommended regional partnerships with service providers to assist individuals with specialized needs, and specifically mentioned the need to develop programs and services for people diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome who might not currently be part of the agency's programs.

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About ASAN

A nonprofit organization run by and for Autistic people, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) was created to improve the representation of the Autistic community in public policy discussions and to promote inclusion, respect for neurodiversity, access to services and supports, and cultural activities.

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